Editor’s Introduction The Saskatoon Co-op strike has been on since November 1 with strikers fighting against an increasingly ugly employer that wants a two-tier contract that would sell out all future hires. Recently, the case for backing the strikers was made by Andrew Stevens and Charles Smith. A new opinion piece with a different view Continue readingSaskatoon Co-op Strike: Reply to Pohler
UFCW
By Haseena Manek Employees of a Your Independent Grocer franchise in Cornwall, Ontario have been on strike since November 23 as employer and franchise owner John Baxtrom and bargaining agent of parent company Loblaws Companies Ltd., refuse to return to the table. RankandFile.ca spoke with Roland Lapins, Eastern Region Director of Local 1006A of the Continue readingCornwall grocery workers strike: “You don’t need a union to bargain for minimum wage”
By Emily Leedham Host of Rank and File Radio – Prairies Edition On February 8, the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix wrote a feature on Keesan Corey, a 19-year old business student and strikebreaker at the Saskatoon Coop. Hundreds of UFCW Local 1400 members have been on strike at the Saskatoon Coop for over 3 months since November Continue readingThe scab, his mom, and the soul of the Coop
Rank & File Radio – Prairie Edition on CKUW 95.90 FM provides Canadian labour news and analysis across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. This show is an independent partner with RankandFile.ca and supported by listeners like you through Patreon, and UFCW Local 832. —Support via Patreon!— www.patreon.com/rfradioprairie Thanks to everyone who has supported this show since Continue readingStella’s workers unionize | SK Co-op workers strike through Christmas | Crashing Liberal parties
By Daniel Tseghay On Monday, November 26, Maple Leaf Foods announced it would be closing three poultry facilities in Ontario employing hundreds of members of both United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 175 and Local 1006A. By 2021, the St. Marys plant, employing 485 Local 175 members will close. And by 2022, the Brampton Continue readingMaple Leaf Foods closing three plants, 1500 jobs lost
by Emily Leedham The Co-op is the only grocery store in Martensville, Saskatchewan, population 10,000, and its workers have been on strike for almost a month. The Martensville Co-op workers are in the same UFCW Local 1400 bargaining unit as the Co-ops in Saskatoon, where hundreds of workers are also on strike fighting a two-tiered Continue readingThe Co-op Strike: Big Solidarity in Little Martensville
On the latest episode of Rank and File Radio – Prairies Edition, we cover the strike of over one thousand Co-op workers in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon, all members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1400. Moose Jaw workers have been on strike for just over a month. A few days ago, Saskatoon workers Continue readingCo-op workers strike in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon
By Daniel Tseghay When workers at the Original Cakerie in London, Ontario, who manufacture frozen desserts, showed an interest in joining the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, they prepared for the usual challenges to forming a union. However, these workers were also supposed to benefit from recent legislative changes in Bill 148, the Continue readingLondon employer flouts new labour laws during union drive
by James Wilt Over 200 workers at the Aryzta factory in North Winnipeg are entering their second week of striking for increased wages and a return to eight-hour shifts. The strike began at 8 am on April 30. Since then, the UFCW Local 832 members have ensured 24-hour coverage at the twin picket lines — Continue readingWinnipeg bakers rise up against multinational
By Michael Hughes, a senior communications and education officer with UFCW Local 401 When management at the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites in downtown Calgary decided to fire Aaron Doncaster, they probably thought they were ending their employees’ efforts to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401. After pursuing charges at the Continue readingFire a worker and you get the union
In the summer of 1987, grocery store workers at 12 Westfair stores in Manitoba went on a bitter 125-day strike against a company push to drive down the standards established by collective bargaining, introduce a two-tier wage structure, and smash up the union itself, UFCW Local 832. Rankandfile.ca spoke with Scott Price, a historian at Continue readingFighting for Survival: Manitoba’s 1987 Westfair strike
By David Bush and Gerard Di Trolio On March 27, CLC Investigator Barry Thorsteinson submitted an 11 page report to CLC President Hassan Yussuff on the ATU Local 113 crisis. His report notes that with the March 17 withdrawal of Bob Kinnear’s request for the CLC’s justification proceedings, the case ends with the filing of Continue readingContentious CLC report on ATU crisis falls short